Denny Hamlin continued his consistent start to the Chase with a third-place finish Sunday at Kansas Speedway. Hamlin started sixth and spent much of the afternoon among the closest challengers to dominant race winner Kyle Larson.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished second in Stage 1 and third in Stage 2, putting together one of the strongest overall points days in the field. Hamlin remained inside the lead group during the final run and passed teammate Chase Briscoe in the closing laps, beating him to the finish line by 0.037 seconds for third.
Hamlin scored 51 points but still lost substantial championship ground because Larson earned the maximum 76. Hamlin remains second in the Chase with 2,256 points, 26 behind Larson. He entered Kansas just
one point off the lead, so the afternoon was simultaneously another strong result and a costly points day as Larson widened the gap considerably.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Denny Hamlin loses Chase points despite strong run at Kansas
